


Translucent

by Rosalind2013



Series: Perception [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alya Césaire Knows, Awkwardness, Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Everybody knows, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Nino Lahiffe Knows, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Post-Reveal Love Square, Pre-Relationship, awkward dorks, heck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-06-08 21:19:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15252270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosalind2013/pseuds/Rosalind2013
Summary: Alya Césaire helps her friends navigate their post-reveal awkwardness. What's a budding romance without a bit of meddling, after all?





	1. Resounding

**Author's Note:**

> With these two, it's never that easy.

Alya sat in the classroom next to her best friend, a decidedly self-satisfied grin adorning her face. She went the extra mile to make sure Marinette was at school on time that morning.

Alix and Kim were already there, and in the middle of one of their betting games. A few onlookers were already choosing their sides. Marinette and Alya ignored the ruckus and sat on the other side of the room at their regular table.

Marinette was rather chipper, no doubt due to recent events. She smoothed her hair down and turned to Alya with a bright grin. "How do I look?" she asked.

The blogger rolled her eyes, but her amused smile gave away her lack of real annoyance. "Gorgeous, as always," Alya said.

Marinette giggled, "Thanks Alya."

Nino and Adrien entered the room next, and Alya watched with amusement as the secret superhero duo immediately locked eyes.

Astoundingly, Marinette kept her cool as she smiled and waved at the blond model. Adrien, however, was not quite as calm and collected.

"G-Good morning, Marinette," Adrien stammered.

Alya clamped a hand to her mouth as she fought back laughter.

"Good morning, Adrien! How are you?" Marinette asked, looking surprised at his odd behavior.

"Great! Never better!" he squeaked, his face flushing an admittedly adorable pink.

Alya shared a look with her best friend, and Marinette's eyes widened with comprehension. Nino placed a supportive hand on Adrien's shoulder, jarring him out of his stupor.

"My bro didn't get enough sleep, so he's a little out of it," Nino explained with a meaningful glance in Alya's direction.

"I couldn't even tell! You look great," Marinette remarked, before realizing what she'd said and blushing tomato red.

"I-I mean, you always look great! N-Not that I've been looking!" the pig-tailed girl blurted. Alya slapped a hand to her forehead.

Adrien's face turned a shade that matched Marinette's, "No, no! You look great, not me! Uh, not that I'm putting myself down or anything!"

Nino slapped a hand to his own forehead as well.

"Might as well slap your own forehead too, Marinette. Looks like everyone in your dork squad is doing it," Chloé remarked with a snicker as she walked past them.

Adrien fixed the girl with a flat look.

"Of course I didn't mean you, Adrikins. You're much too sophisticated to do something like that," the blonde girl stated matter-of-factly.

Adrien very deliberately looked Chloé in the eye, raised his hand up, and brought it to his forehead with a resounding smack.

His three on-looking friends erupted in a chorus of laughter, and Chloé huffed in indignation before stomping away.

Their laughter died down, and Alya noted with satisfaction that Adrien's gaze lingered on Marinette much longer than strictly necessary.

Ms. Bustier entered the room, signaling that it was time to get started for the day.

They took their seats and Marinette watched the back of Adrien's head with an unreadable expression. He angled his head just enough to catch her eye, and gave her a flirtatious wink.

Marinette chuckled softly and rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to pay attention to the lesson.

Alya smiled and shook her head. While not as much had changed as she might have hoped, it was definitely a step in the right direction.


	2. Touché

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette remembers an important weekly event, and promptly freaks out about it.

Marinette was sprawled out on her floor with a tower of pillows piled up on her stomach, courtesy of one Alya Cesaíre. The blogger added a final pink ruffled pillow to the top of the stack, and stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"Ohmygosh, Alya! Today's Wednesday!" Marinette shouted, jerking bolt upright and scattering Alya's carefully crafted tower of pillows onto the floor.

The blogger looked completely disappointed by her friend's disregard for the art of pillow-tower building.

"Yes, Marinette. Wednesday comes after Tuesday, and we just experienced Tuesday yesterday."

Marinette gripped Alya's shoulders, urgency in her eyes. "But I meet Chat Noir on Wednesdays! What do I do? Should I do something new with my hair, or would it look like I'm trying too hard? Oh, I need to take a shower! What if I smell all sweaty?" she shrieked.

"Girl! I'm like ninety-nine percent certain Chat Noir has no problem with Ladybug smelling sweaty. He likes you for you. You don't have to change anything to impress him, Marinette," Alya explained patiently.

The girl in question sighed, her shoulders slumping forward, "You're right. I'm just so nervous! I never really thought about what I'd do if Adrien might actually like me back."

Alya laughed, "I'm pretty sure he never thought about what _he'd_ do if Ladybug might actually like him back either, so you're both in the same boat!"

Tikki made her presence known with a giggle. "I think Alya is right. Just relax, Marinette."

"I would, if I wasn't so excited about seeing Adrien- er, Chat," Marinette explained with a sigh.

Alya laughed, "You're hopeless, girl-"

She was cut off by the ringing of her phone, and she glanced at the name before shooting a sly grin at Marinette. Tikki knew that look, so she grabbed a cookie and settled in to watch the unfolding events.

"Speaking of Adrien…" Alya stated, motioning for Marinette to be quiet as she put the phone on speaker.

Adrien's voice emitted from the speaker, filling the silence in the room with noise, "I don't know how to do this, Alya! Can I bring her flowers? Is that too weird? She'd laugh at me, wouldn't she? I mean, it's not like it's a date. I-I mean, not that I don't  _want_  to go on a date!"

Tikki giggled quietly, muffling her voice with her hands, while Marinette flushed bright red.

"I just know she's never considered it a date  _before_ , and I'd rather take her somewhere special for that, y'know? Not that I'm assuming she wants to go on a date with me. I mean, just because she knows who I am doesn't mean she wants to go out with me now…Or maybe ever. I mean she's not obligated- Alya, what do I do?" Adrien babbled, no doubt panicking on the other end.

"First of all, you stop freaking out. Second of all, just take it slow and be yourself," Alya advised.

"Take it slow? Have you  _met_  me?" Adrien challenged.

"Touché," Alya admitted.

She glanced over at Marinette, who was stunned into silence by the overheard conversation with her crush.

"All right. Forget the 'take it slow' advice, then. But definitely be yourself, okay?" Alya said, giving Marinette a conspiratorial wink.

She exchanged goodbyes and hung up, smirking at Marinette's flabbergasted expression. It was one thing to hear from Alya that Chat Noir was interested in her, but it was another thing to hear it directly from him.

"See, he's just as nervous as you are," Alya said as she patted her friend's arm encouragingly.

"He  _did_  sound pretty nervous," Marinette conceded, a small smile creeping into her expression.

Alya mentally patted herself on the back for a job well done. "Yeah. So don't sweat it, girl!" she said.

Marinette beamed for a few seconds, seemingly over the worst of the hurdles. Then the panicked gleam returned to her eye. The brunette was forced to stop in the midst of her mental celebration.

Alya's shoulders drooped in defeat, "What is it now?"

"It's going to be so _awkward_!" Marinette squealed, burying her head under her pillows.

The blogger rolled her eyes and pulled a pillow off so that she could see her friend's face, "Because it wasn't awkward  _before_  this identity thing."

Marinette just stared back blankly. "Ha. Funny."

"Look, I'm just saying that this isn't bad. You've both been running in circles forever, maybe that can stop now!" Alya explained.

Marinette glared at her, "Stop running in circles? Have you  _met_  me?"

Alya smiled fondly at Marinette's stolen line. Truly, they were made for each other.

"Touché."


	3. Reverb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino has an interesting day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it was about time for a Nino-centric chapter.

If Nino had not been "in the know" about Ladybug and Chat Noir's true identities, perhaps the situation at hand would be less mortifying. As it happened, he knew  _exactly_  who was under that mask, and wondered if it was possible for one to die of shame.

He unintentionally caused the elderly woman next door to become akumatized, and was about to be blasted with a concussive sound wave when Ladybug swooped in, threw him over her shoulder, and escaped onto the rooftops.

Shortly after, he was staring down at the streets below as she swung between buildings, seeing as how he couldn't look anywhere but down.

"I am Madame Reverb, and you misbehaving children will know what it is to be disturbed by loud noises!"

Being thrown over Ladybug's shoulder like a sack of potatoes? That was okay; his pride could escape intact.

Being thrown over his class president's shoulder, though? That was a little more embarrassing, but his image could still be salvageable.

"Get him to safety! I'll take care of the akuma. I'll call you if anything changes," Ladybug ordered as she addressed her crime-fighting partner.

Then, she transferred him into Chat Noir's waiting arms, and that was where Nino thought that his pride might never rise from the ashes of its defeat.

Being cradled in the arms of his best bro was simply more embarrassing than the boy could take.

The feline-themed superhero held Nino bridal style as he leaped down from the roof and straight through the open window of an abandoned building.

As soon as they touched down, Nino scrambled out of Chat Noir's grip, eager to get to his feet and put the whole incident behind him.

Outside, a loud blast of noise decimated the rooftop they previously occupied; Nino winced.

Chat Noir quickly drew the curtains closed, peeking out through a small crack to watch the battle unfolding. No doubt, he was concerned for Ladybug's wellbeing.

An amplified voice boomed across the city, " _Where is Nino Lahiffe?"_

Nino visibly paled, scooting away from the window as subtly as he could manage.

Chat Noir turned to him, a curious gleam in his eye, "So what'd you do to make her so angry?"

Nino flushed and fidgeted with his shirt, since his hat had fallen off somewhere between being scooped up by Ladybug and being handed over to Chat Noir.

"Uh, she's my neighbor. Guess my music was too loud," he explained, feeling rather sheepish for practicing his DJ routine so noisily. He'd have to remember to be more considerate to Madame Dubois in the future, since his music had upset her badly enough to warrant an akumatization.

Another concussive blast cut through the air and shook the foundation of the building, causing Nino to stumble.

Chat Noir was there in a flash, catching him under the elbow and pulling him back upright with a teasing smile.

"Careful, random citizen I-may-or-may-not-have-met-before," he stated, using a rather over-the-top tone of voice.

Nino wondered at it for a few seconds, but his thoughts were cut short as Chat Noir grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him out through the door of the empty apartment.

It wasn't a moment too soon, as a sonic blast demolished the room they'd just been standing in.

"Dude! That was close," Nino remarked, grateful for his friend's cat-like reflexes.

"Do not be alarmed. I, Chat Noir, will protect you," the cat-boy announced in the kind of voice Nino heard superheroes use on children's cartoons. It was all he could do not to break down in a fit of laughter.

Losing focus at that point could cause serious injury, or so he tried to remind himself. A small snort threatened to break through his control, but another sound blast reminded him of his immediate peril, and he picked up the pace.

"Left at this building, Civilian!" the blond cried, rounding the corner so sharply that Nino felt like his arm had almost left its socket.

To be fair, he  _had_  tried to warn him.

As he ran along behind Chat Noir, who continued to use the dramatized voice, it suddenly occurred to him that Adrien was worried about Nino recognizing him.

It was the only plausible explanation for the ridiculous act he was putting on. Perhaps the time to tell him what he knew had finally come.

"A sharp right turn, good sir!"

Or perhaps it would be fun to let this go on for a while.

Nino snorted, and the blond boy gave him a passing glance before his eyes widened as he focused on Madame Reverb, who was about to shoot another concussive wave from her cane.

Chat Noir gave a quick exclamation of surprise, and yanked them both into a roll. They narrowly avoided a blast that took out a good chunk of the street, and finally rolled to a stop behind a building that momentarily hid them from view.

Nino realized that Chat Noir was still crouching over him as he scanned their surroundings, and wondered once again if he could die of shame.

It might be better than his quality of life if pictures of this ever surfaced.

Chat Noir seemed completely unfazed as he climbed off of Nino and offered a hand to help him up.

"Cats usually land on their feet, so I a _paw_ logize for the rough landing," he said with a proud smirk.

Nino resisted the urge to berate him for considering that a good joke. The guy seriously needed to up his game; it was like he wasn't even trying.

"Even with the help of that incompetent cat imposter, you cannot escape me!" the akumatized victim announced.

"Wow, that really  _Hertz_ ," Chat Noir stated, clutching at his chest in mock pain.

Madame Reverb dropped down in front of them, and Ladybug followed close behind. She knocked the woman's next shot off course with her yoyo and slid into place beside Chat Noir.

"We're always on the same  _wavelength_ , My Lady" he quipped, throwing a wink in her direction.

"Well, we do bump into each other with  _frequency_ ," she replied, giving him a smug smile. Nino chuckled at the way his best friend's face lit up when he realized that Ladybug had made a  _sound pun_.

The moment was short lived, and Nino yelped as Madame Reverb sent another attack their way. It was deflected at the last minute by Chat Noir's staff, and Ladybug shoved Nino toward him.

"Make sure he gets out of here, and then circle around to Cataclysm her cane! That's where the akuma is," Ladybug muttered, low enough that the victim couldn't hear her.

"I'm on it, Bugaboo," Chat agreed, throwing Nino onto his back and dodging incoming blasts from Madame Reverb's cane.

The DJ caught sight of Alya who was recording everything, and hoped against hope that she had just arrived on the scene, and had missed most of his embarrassing encounter.

"Ah, dude, could you put me down somewhere?" he asked, keeping an eye on Ladybug and Madame Reverb.

"Not until I know you're safe," Chat Noir replied, seemingly forgetting to use the superhero voice. Nino rolled his eyes, smiling fondly; he didn't use the voice, but he was still dramatic.

"Yeah, well, could ya at least get me out of Alya's recording?" Nino requested.

Chat Noir glanced back at him momentarily, and then he snickered, "What? You don't want anyone to see me giving you a piggy-back ride?"

"Not very manly, y'know?" Nino responded, wishing he had just used his headphones during practice. That way he could have been chilling at home rather than clinging to his best friend's back while he narrowly avoided sound blasts.

The cat themed superhero cackled, "Sorry."

He didn't sound very apologetic.

" _Where_  is Nino Lahiffe?" Hawkmoth's latest villain demanded in a shrill voice, as Nino and Chat Noir ducked behind a building and disappeared from her sight.

"Remain here, Citizen! I, Chat Noir, must assist Ladybug," the blond boy announced, and Nino rolled his eyes as the 'hero' voice made another appearance.

Chat Noir turned his back and extended his baton. He was prepared to take his leave when Nino called out to him.

"Hey, wait!" the bespectacled boy called, raising a hand up to rest on the hero's shoulder. Slitted catlike eyes met his, curiosity gleaming just beneath the surface.

Nino offered him a soft smile, "Thanks for saving me, Adrien."

The ethereal green eyes widened and he opened his mouth as if to say something, when an explosion sounded in the distance.

"Chat Noir! I could really use some help right now!" Ladybug shouted from her place perched on the edge of the building's roof. The leather clad hero glanced up at her, then at Nino, and back again.

"C-Coming!" he stammered, giving Nino a meaningful look before pole-vaulting onto the rooftop beside her.

The DJ knew he'd be having another one of  _those_  conversations once the attack was over, but reveled in the fact that he'd managed to leave the infamous Chat Noir speechless.

Nino laughed to himself despite the cacophony of sounds from the ongoing battle nearby.

He wondered if this was how Alya felt when she was teasing Marinette. If so, he could understand why she did it so often.

It wasn't long before the noises ceased, and the Miraculous Cure swept through the streets repairing all the damage from Madame Reverb's sonic attacks.

"So you finally told him?"

Alya's voice cut through the silence, and he turned around to face her. The girl's arms were crossed over her chest, and her phone was in hand.

Nino chuckled, "Yeah. Pretty hilarious."

Alya hummed and swiped the screen of her phone, "Speaking of hilarious…"

The boy's smile fell.

"I have the cutest picture of you two! I think I'm gonna frame it," she remarked with a sly grin as she held up her phone.

On the screen was a picture of Nino cradled in Chat Noir's arms. Alya's rambunctious laughter filled silence of the relatively empty city streets.

If Nino had not been "in the know" about Chat Noir's true identity, perhaps the situation at hand would be less mortifying. As it happened, he knew  _exactly_  who was under that mask, and once again wondered if it was possible for one to die of shame.


	4. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Marinette go shopping.

After a long day of school, Alya and Marinette were more than ready to hit the town for some much needed retail therapy. They entered the subway and took their usual place at the front of the car, smiling and giggling as they recalled the way Chloé stormed out of class in an effort to "punish them with her absence".

"Chloé's absence was more  _reward_  than punishment," Alya remarked.

Marinette turned to glance through the window mid-laugh, and froze as she met a pair of familiar green eyes on the other side. It gave her an understandable sense of déjà vu to see the blond model waving at her from the car in front of them.

Her smile spread wider as she waved back, admiring the way his face lit up at her friendly response.

"Looks like Paris's resident escape artist is at it again," Alya commented with an amused grin.

Marinette giggled and made a face at him through the glass, which he returned with a ridiculous waggle of his eyebrows. Marinette knew a challenge when she saw it, and was fully prepared to pull out all the stops. She pushed her lips out and made a fish face, and he responded with a smolder that belonged on the cover of a magazine instead of on a subway train.

She replied with a silly cross-eyed look, which made him fight a smile but wasn't quite enough to make him crack.

He shifted into a flashy pose, placing his arm behind his head as he upped the ante on his smolder to comical proportions. The dark haired girl powered through her light blush and stuck out her tongue in a childish act of defiance.

He gave a flirtatious wink in response, lips quirked in a devilish smirk.

"Meep," Marinette squeaked, giving no response save for a slack-jawed stare. Alya gently pushed her mouth closed, rolling her eyes at Adrien's triumphant fist pump.

An elderly woman with snow-white hair tapped Marinette's arm from her place seated roughly behind her. The girls turned to her and she smiled at Marinette, "You have a very handsome boyfriend."

"O-Oh! He's not!" Marinette replied quickly, still flustered by Adrien's flirty wink.

The woman raised a silver eyebrow glancing through the window at the blond model and back to Marinette, skepticism apparent. The pig-tailed girl realized her mistake.

"Oh no! He's, well, he's gorgeous. Just,  _look at him_. I just meant that he isn't mine! M-My boyfriend, I mean," Marinette explained, twiddling her thumbs awkwardly.

The old woman chuckled, her eyes crinkling with mirth. "I'll offer you a bit of advice. When a boy looks at you the way he's watching you right now, and you like him enough to get that flustered…usually it's a sign that he should be your boyfriend."

Marinette glanced up and caught Adrien's eye. His showy pose and smirk were gone, replaced by a softer, more genuine smile. Her heart did a little flip in her chest, and she smiled back at him.

"Come on, Mari. This is our stop," Alya reminded the girl, placing a hand on her back and guiding her toward the exit.

"It was nice to meet you, Madame!" Marinette called over her shoulder. The woman smiled and waved as the two girls left. Adrien noticed that they were getting off, and quickly followed as well.

"Hey! What are you ladies up to?" he greeted, flashing an eager smile.

"We should be asking you that question," Alya teased.

Adrien gave a sheepish smile and shrugged, "Uh, I was bored so I decided to see where the day would take me. Looks like it led me to you two."

Alya gave him an amused look, "If I didn't know you could take care of yourself, I'd be worried about your safety."

Adrien gave her a playful grin, "Don't worry, I've got this in the bag."

"Subtle cat reference, very classy," Marinette complimented with a lighthearted nudge.

"I hope that wasn't sarcasm; I thought it was pretty good," he replied.

"It was decent," Marinette assured him.

"We were on our way to go shopping," Alya interjected.

"I figured, given where you got off," Adrien replied, a knowing grin on his face.

"I'm mostly going to be window shopping, but there's a big shoe sale going on today," Marinette explained, going starry-eyed at the prospect of getting a few new pairs of shoes.

"Need someone to carry your bags?" Adrien offered. His gaze was hopeful, and Marinette turned to Alya for an answer to the question. It was supposed to be a girl thing, but the pig-tailed girl would never say no to having Adrien tag along.

Alya squinted at him for a few minutes, and then she sighed as she seemed to come to a conclusion. "Okay. Who am I to deprive my best friend of true happiness?"

"Are you sure, Alya? I mean, you said we were spending girl time," Marinette checked, trying to hide her enthusiasm at the prospect of spending time with her crush. She was unsuccessful in her endeavor.

Alya rolled her eyes, "If Agreste can crash Nail Night on the reg, then he can totally hang with us for girl time."

The trio laughed as they went up the steps to exit the metro, and quieted down as they arrived at the shopping center. Marinette's bluebell eyes darted around as she evaluated the best course of action.

"When do you want to hit the shoe store?" Alya inquired.

The dark-haired girl nodded thoughtfully, "Best to get that out of the way first, since they might run out of our sizes!"

Her companions concurred, and headed off in the direction of the store. Adrien made a point to allow the girls to lead the conversation, chiming in when he saw an opportunity to add something useful, and staying silent when they went off on tangents.

They were still in transit to the store when Marinette completely forgot he was there.

"Ooh, Alya! Look at that dress," Marinette exclaimed, pointing to a shop window. The mannequin supported a beautiful white wedding dress with intricate embroidery and lace.

"It's nice, but I bet you could design a better one," Alya replied, mentally sizing it up.

"Oh, of course there are things that I would change, but wouldn't that cut look gorgeous on you?" Marinette gushed, trailing her fingers over the glass as if she wished she could reach through and touch the dress.

Alya laughed, "I guess so, but it looks more like your style."

Marinette gave her a funny look, "It does look a little like one of my top six."

"Top six?" Alya asked, beating Adrien to the punch.

Marinette bounced excitedly and grabbed her best friend's hands, "My six favorite future wedding dresses that I've designed! I have one for each season, and then an extra for winter and autumn."

Alya raised an eyebrow, "Why an extra for winter and autumn?"

Marinette stared at her like it should be obvious, "I'd prefer a cold weather wedding, and I like having options. But I don't know what  _he_  would want so I had to be prepared for other seasons too."

Adrien blinked, "Wow. Do you have your groom picked out already too?"

Marinette huffed and whirled to face him, "Well, of  _course_ I-"

She realized who she was looking at, and her face drained of color.

"N-Nevermind!" she shouted, walking away so quickly that she was nearly jogging in the direction of the shoe store.

The blond turned to Alya for an explanation, but the blogger just gave him an impish grin before she whirled around to follow Marinette.

"Wait! Alya!" he called, trailing behind her like a lost puppy.

When he arrived at the shoe store, Marinette was already trying on a pair of shoes. She twisted around to get a better look at them in the mirror.

"Those look great on you," he stated, offering her a friendly smile. She smiled back, but still looked uncertain.

"I like these ankle boots, but I'm not too sure about the color," she confessed.

Adrien nodded in understanding, "Taupe is going to be in next season, though. We've already started shooting for the fall line, and I've seen a few boots and pocketbooks in that color."

Marinette perked up, "Oh! I  _did_  hear rumors about that, but none of the fashion designers have confirmed it yet."

The boy smiled shyly, "Well, let's keep it between you and me. I'm not supposed to say anything about Father's unreleased designs, but technically I only gave you a color, so it shouldn't be a big deal."

Marinette's eyes widened, "You could get in trouble, Adrien!" He laughed and waved her off, "I'm saving  _you_  trouble in the future. I'd say it's a worthy cause."

The pig-tailed girl's lips quirked up in a smile, and an unreadable emotion swam behind her blue eyes. "You're always saving me, aren't you?"

He met her eyes, green pools full of warmth as he returned her gaze. "I always will."

Alya watched from her place just a few paces behind Adrien's left shoulder, a wide smile stretched across her face as she took in the way her friends looked at each other.

Perhaps someday she would be helping Marinette choose her wedding dress, but for now, she was content to simply watch the story unfold in its own time.

Although, there was nothing wrong with giving a few nudges here and there.


	5. Unconcealed

Since the first week of school, it had been Marinette's dream to be paired with Adrien Agreste for a school project. Mere weeks ago, she would have been beside herself with nerves and plagued by incoherent outbursts of joy at the thought of it.

When she finally heard Adrien's name called alongside her own for something other than attendance, she didn't react the way she dreamed she would.

There was a lot of internal screaming, but for completely different reasons than usual.

"Looks like we're partners, Marinette," Adrien remarked, looking ridiculously satisfied. His grin was so remarkably catlike that she wanted to shove him off of his seat.

She restrained herself, because it would look rather odd for Marinette Dupain-Cheng to push Adrien Agreste to the floor, and she wasn't sure how she would explain it when questioned.

Instead, she settled for twisting the fabric of her shirt between her fingers.

How was she going to handle an entire day at the Louvre and the subsequent workdays spent on the report portion with Adrien? Alya seemed to pick up on her distress, and gave her an incredulous look.

Marinette simply shrugged helplessly; how could she possibly explain why she wasn't looking forward to partnering up with her crime-fighting partner?

Even  _Marinette_  didn't quite understand why she was put out by it.

She decided that it wouldn't do to let this assignment get in the way of her life, so she resolved herself to staring at the board while everyone else was paired off.

Marinette jolted as a pair of curious green eyes obscured her view of the blank board. "You know, this means we'll have to spend a lot of time together," Adrien remarked, eyes almost sparkling with excitement as he leaned his elbows on her desk.

A soft smile tugged at her lips in spite of her best efforts, "I suppose you're right."

His grin grew impossibly wider, "I'm excited! I usually don't get you all to myself." He balked as he realized what he'd said, "I, uh…that- you, um…"

Marinette giggled and gently patted his cheek; "It'll be nice to spend time with you too, Adrien."

He beamed back at her, and the tips of her fingers lingered on his face longer than really necessary. Marinette felt intuitively drawn to him, and he peered into her eyes with unconcealed affection.

"Aww, look at the lovebirds," Alya teased in a sing-song voice, shaking them out of their moment long enough for Marinette to realize they were in school and many of their classmates were watching.

They both flushed, and Adrien jerked around to face the right way in his seat, while Marinette buried her face in her hands. Nino snickered, and received a half-hearted punch in the shoulder from his best friend.

Somewhere in the background, Rose sighed dreamily and Chloé demanded to know what happened that had half of the class whispering with excitement. Mercifully, Sabrina had the good sense to pretend she hadn't seen anything.

Alya gave the redhead a salute and turned her attention to their teacher, who was doing her best to rein the class in for discussion on their project requirements.

"As you all know, you'll be sticking with your partner for our field trip. No one is to switch partners without consulting with me first. That being said, enjoy your lunch break!" Ms. Bustier announced.

There was a flurry of movement as everyone began gathering their things to go to lunch, and Adrien was about to rise from his seat when he suddenly found himself caged in by Chloé's arm.

"Adrikins! There has obviously been a mistake. You and I should be partners," the blonde girl asserted, and began trying to tug him out of his seat.

The boy gave a polite smile and gently removed her hand from his arm, "Sorry, Chlo. I'm perfectly happy to be partnered with Marinette."

Chloé looked as if he'd just sprouted an extra head.

"But it's  _Marinette_ ," she spat, as if the name alone should be reason enough to change his mind.

Nino and Alya shared a look, and the blogger was prepared to swoop in for a save should Chat Noir's righteous fury flare up.

"I like Marinette," he replied, his expression surprisingly kind despite Alya's expectations.

The blonde girl scoffed, "No need to spare her feelings, she's a big girl."

Steel flashed in his eyes, and an uncharacteristic frown settled on his features, "Chloé, that's enough."

She didn't seem to be capable of reading his mood, "Alright then. If you're fine settling for mediocrity, who am I to stop you?"

The tensing of his shoulders was the only forewarning anyone received; before Adrien was shooting Chloé a disarming, yet rather forced, smile.

"I'd hardly call it settling, Chloé. After all, that figure of speech is usually used when you accept  _less_  than you deserve, not more," he replied, quiet defiance making its way into his voice.

Chloé's icy blue eyes darted between him and Marinette a few times, before she flipped her hair and sauntered off.

"You'll come to your senses eventually, Adrikins," she called over her shoulder as Sabrina followed her out the door.

Alya glared openly at the spot the girl had been standing in, and Marinette placed a steadying hand on Adrien's shoulder.

"You roasted her, bro!" Nino enthused, grinning from ear to ear.

Adrien looked rather upset, and Marinette shot Nino a mild frown before addressing the blond boy, "I know Chloé is important to you; that couldn't have been easy."

Adrien offered a warm smile in response, "I couldn't let her talk about my partner like that."

Marinette couldn't help the grin that stretched across her face at hearing the Chat Noir in Adrien's voice.

"I love you," she breathed.

All three of her friends inhaled sharply, and Adrien cocked his head to the side, positive that he'd misheard her, "W-What?"

"I-I love that you stood up for me! It was nice very! V-Very nice!" Marinette shrieked; she snatched her book bag off of the floor and nearly shoved Alya from her seat.

"We need to go to get lunch, seeyalatergottagobye!" the pig-tailed girl called as she ushered Alya out of the room.

Once they were safely out of earshot, Alya turned a critical stare on her friend, "Really, girl? Really?"

Marinette chuckled nervously, "That could've gone better."

Alya chortled with laughter, and Marinette joined in after a while.

Their laughter didn't die down until they were seated in Marinette's floor. Alya sighed and took a bite of her cookie, glancing over at Tikki, who looked curiously amused.

Alya turned to her best friend with a serious expression, "We've gotta plan a real confession, ASAP."

With that statement, their uproarious laughter picked up once again, interwoven with the tinkling giggles of a certain Ladybug kwami.


	6. Translucent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory "The Mayor Throws a Fancy Party in Honor of Ladybug and Chat Noir" story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have a better name for Chat Noir's fan club, please let me know. Mine is stupid.

No one could say that André Bourgeois didn't know how to throw a party. At least, that's what Alya thought as she wove her way through the colorful crowd of cocktail dresses and bowties.

Her own dress was a gold tea-length number with a strappy back. Alya's hair was in a classy up-do, courtesy of her mother, and she wore a pair of sensible black heels. Around her neck hung her new camera, a fancy birthday gift from Adrien.

Several other guests carried cameras, including Nadja Chamack's cameraman, who trailed behind the reporter as he always did. Alya's wildly popular Ladyblog had secured her a spot on the guest list of this party, and the aspiring journalist was among the youngest people there.

Chloé and Sabrina stood near the middle of the room, glancing around every so often as they looked for someone. Alya knew they were likely anticipating the arrival of the most important guests of all.

The mayor stepped up to the microphone; "I'd like everyone to join me in welcoming our guests of honor!" The crowd erupted into cheers as Ladybug and Chat Noir entered the room.

They both arrived in their regular suits, though the future fashion designer couldn't reconcile herself with the fact that she would be attending a fancy cocktail party in the same suit she wore every day. So she added a few things to her normal attire.

Ladybug's hair was up in sophisticated twin buns, and she wore a voguish translucent black dress over her suit. If trouble arose, it would be a simple matter of unclasping the lightweight material and letting it drop to the floor so that she could do battle.

Chat Noir had done nothing special with his appearance for the party. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy that no one cared, if the gleeful expression on his face was any indication.

Alya had to restrain her laughter as she recorded their entrance with her camera; she was a professional, after all.

After the longest Thank You speech of their natural lives, André implored everyone to have a great time, and the superhero team descended into the crowd.

Chamack closed in on them before Alya could get close enough to intercept her. Alya smirked at the reporter, who seemed to think she'd beaten the Ladyblogger at something.

When they finally escaped from the woman, Chat Noir smirked and offered Ladybug his arm, which she took with surprising grace.

Alya knew she needed to get the interview out of the way so that she could leave them alone. She approached with a knowing smile and pointed the camera at them.

"Got anything to say for the Ladyblog?" she prodded, while they both grinned into the camera.

"We appreciate your support," Ladybug stated, her hand still settled in the crook of her partner's arm.

"Stay claw-some," Chat Noir remarked with a self-satisfied grin. Ladybug snatched her hand away from him and crossed her arms over her chest as an act of defiance.

The cat-themed superhero dramatically placed a hand over his heart, "She doesn't a-purr-ciate my sense of humor." The spotted superheroine rolled her eyes, and Alya chuckled.

"Well, we'll let you two get back to your party. Until next time!" Alya said.

She promptly turned off the camera and grinned at her friends. "That was great! The Chatterboxes will love it!" Alya remarked.

"Chatterboxes?" Ladybug asked, confusion flashing across her face.

"Chat Noir's fanclub," the blogger explained. The cat-boy snickered.

Ladybug gave them a flat look, "Why am I not surprised that it's a pun?"

The lights dimmed and the band began playing a tasteful waltz, and Alya saw the way Chat Noir's eyes lit up as he turned to his partner and offered her his hand.

"May I have this dance, My Lady?" he asked, sweeping into a charming bow. A blush flared to life beneath Ladybug's mask, and she shyly placed her hand in his.

Alya watched with bated breath as he pressed a light kiss to her knuckles. When Ladybug made no move to withdraw, he beamed and began leading her toward the dance floor. They were well into their third dance when Alya realized that she had a camera, and had missed that adorable hand kiss. She sighed and lifted the camera up to capture the way they laughed and swung each other around the dance floor as if they were the only two people on Earth.

It wasn't necessarily romantic to other bystanders; it looked like best friends having fun, but Alya knew them in a way that everyone else didn't. So when they took a seat to drink water, laughing amongst themselves with those animated grins on their faces, she knew that those were the expressions of love-struck fools.

Alya sipped her sparkling cider from a champagne glass, legs crossed beneath the white tablecloth as she watched her best friend interact with her crush from across the room.

"Those two are either in a relationship, or they're going to be," a familiar voice stated. Alya turned to her mother, who was wearing her work uniform and carrying a covered dish.

"What makes you say that?" Alya asked, more out of a desire to hold a conversation rather than true curiosity. It was obvious that they were going to be in a relationship; Alya would make sure of it.

Chef Césaire regarded her daughter with a glint of wisdom in her eye, "The way they're looking at each other right now."

Alya scrutinized her friends, who were obviously talking about something lighthearted. Chat's slitted eyes were locked onto Ladybug's but she didn't see anything remarkable in his gaze.

The blogger shrugged, "What way? I don't see anything different from usual."

Chef Césaire smiled at her daughter, "It's in the subtleties, dear."

Meanwhile, a certain blonde haired girl zeroed in on Paris's heroes and darted over to plant herself in the seat beside Ladybug.

"Oh, Ladybug! It's so good to see you again. It's too bad you're always so busy saving Paris, 'cause then we could hang out more!" Chloé remarked, as if she held conversation with the superheroine every day.

"Yeah, too bad," Ladybug replied drily, slouching down ever so slightly.

Sabrina slid into the seat beside Chat Noir, her shoulders hunched as she gave him a shy wave.

"H-Hello Chat Noir," she greeted in a quiet voice, pushing her glasses up on her nose. The cat boy gave her a bright smile in response, and extended a clawed hand toward the redhead.

"Hey! Sabrina, isn't it? I think we've met a few times before," he stated.

The girl gave his hand a gentle shake as she gazed back at him in wonder.

"You remember my name?" she asked, clasping her hands together as she beamed at him.

The blond leaned back and threw his arm over the back of his chair, giving off a relaxed air. "Of course I do," he replied matter-of-factly.

The redhead squealed with excitement, "Oh I told Chloé you were more than just a pretty face! You're so thoughtful and sweet."

Chat Noir chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "Uh, thank you."

Sabrina smiled and bobbed her head up and down rapidly, "Ladybug is so lucky to have a guy like you around."

The boy tilted his head and chuckled. "Wow, was that a pun?" he asked.

The redhead bounced in her seat, "You noticed! I know it wasn't very good, but I thought I'd give it a shot!"

"I can spot a pun a mile away," Chat Noir replied with a smirk, and Ladybug groaned from her place beside him.

Ladybug obviously wasn't very invested in Chloé's story about her day at school if she was paying enough attention to react to his puns. In fact, the spotted superheroine looked absolutely miserable. The cat boy frowned and prepared to find an excuse to get her out of there.

"Is that Jagged Stone?" a female voice cried in the distance.

Sabrina sat up a little straighter, and her head swiveled in the direction of the voice.

"Where?" the redhead inquired, nearly bouncing in her seat.

Chloé glanced around and loosened her vise-like grip on Ladybug's arm. "Oh, I must go say hello to my friend. Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back!" Chloé said.

The blonde nearly leapt from her seat and dragged Sabrina along in her haste to find the rock star. As soon as she was out of earshot, Ladybug gave her partner a sly look.

"Oh we're definitely going somewhere," she remarked, smoothing the wrinkles out of the sleeve of her chiffon dress.

"I'll follow you anywhere, My Lady," Chat Noir replied, a flirty wink at the ready.

"You're welcome," Alya chimed in, beaming with pride as she approached their table. She came to a stop a few feet away, placing her hands on her hips in a heroic pose.

"The heroes of Paris needed saving, and Alya Césaire rose to the occasion," she announced.

The superheroes wore matching grins.

"You're the best, Alya," Ladybug exclaimed.

"I know. Now get to that dance floor before Daddy's Girl comes back!" she urged them, ushering the heroes out of their seats.

"You don't have to tell me twice," the dark haired girl replied with a curt nod, twin buns bobbing on top of her head.

The music swelled as the song changed, and Chat Noir's eyes lit up once again.

"That's a tango!" he enthused, looking delighted at the prospect.

His excitement was palpable, and the boy was nearly vibrating in place. Ladybug looked less than delighted as she took his hand and patted it.

"My ballroom dancing class only covered the basics of tango, so don't get too excited," she said.

He used their joined hands to pull her in closer, leaving only a few inches of space between their faces.

"This cat happens to be a great dance instructor," he murmured, his stance rather charismatic as Ladybug stared into his eyes.

She seemed rather amused, and a smile pulled at her lips.

"Well, I won't stop you from trying," she replied, a light blush coloring her cheeks as she tightened her grip on his hand.

Alya's left hand flew up to cover her mouth, while her right snagged a picture. The sound of the clicking shutter jarred them both back to the matter at hand.

"We better get going, Kitty," Ladybug called as she began leading the way to the dance floor.

He kept pace beside her, a goofy grin on his face as he swung their joined hands between them. Alya snagged several more pictures and videos as the night went on, smiling at her friends' antics.

Ladybug was a quick study, and soon she was allowing Chat Noir to swing her around the dance floor as if they were professional dancers. The crystal chandeliers of the ballroom twinkled as the superheroes glided across the floor beneath them, and the sea of cocktail dresses never encroached upon them.

The band continued to play a variety of dancing music, but from that point on, it seemed that they incorporated a lot more tango than before. Ladybug and Chat Noir danced the night away, laughing all the while.


	7. Trials I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come for Adrien to finally tell Marinette how he feels. Easy, right? Wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually wrote this before Season 2 premiered, so any resemblance to Season 2 events was purely luck! I'm pretty proud to say that I accidentally guessed a few akumas!

Adrien stood before the mirror in his immaculate bathroom. His mother's summery green eyes peered back at him, framed by a shorter version of her golden blonde locks.

He often took pride in the fact that he looked just like his mother, even if it wasn't as much her outer beauty that he admired. It was her warm and loving nature that Adrien truly cherished, so he strove to channel those qualities in himself.

Sometimes when he smiled into the mirror, he could imagine that it was her smiling back at him. Those times were welcome when he needed reassurance or comfort. Adrien gave his reflection an admittedly shaky grin. Instead of seeing his mother in his smile, all he saw was nerves.

"Okay, it's not the end of the world. You're just trying to figure out how to ask the most amazing girl  _in the world_ out on a date. No pressure," he murmured, hands gripping the edge of the sink as he stared into his own eyes.

"Really? 'Cause it looks like you're feeling a lot of pressure," Plagg remarked.

The black cat kwami floated over into the space above Adrien's right shoulder, hovering in place as he gave the boy a smile full of mischief.

"Way to be encouraging, buddy," Adrien replied flatly.

"Anytime," the tiny cat creature stated with a dismissive wave of his arm.

"Ugh, how do I even start? She's so incredible, Plagg," the blond boy murmured, turning his head to watch his companion sink down onto the counter as he cradled a wedge of cheese in his little arms.

Plagg rolled his eyes, "Say 'go on a date with me'. It's that simple."

Adrien narrowed his eyes at the kwami, "I'm pretty sure it I'll need a little more tact than that."

The kwami jabbed an accusing paw at him, "If _my_ advice is so bad, why don't you ask your DJ friend. I'm sure he'd be  _way_  more insightful than a guy who's been alive for millennia."

The blond boy regarded the cat creature with a pensive expression, "You know, I didn't think of asking Nino for help…"

Plagg gave him a flat look, "Seriously? You're gonna ask Mr. Statue for love advice?"

"I'm sure he'd be a better wingman than  _you_ ," Adrien replied, crossing his arms defiantly.

The black cat kwami consumed his cheese in a single gulp before throwing his arms in the air helplessly, "Fine. Ask the DJ for help. You're gonna be begging me for advice in no time."

Adrien scowled at the crumbs on the counter. "I doubt that."

Nino breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door of his room, effectively blocking the noise of the televised game. Since his family was completely engrossed in the TV, he was looking forward to having the next few hours to himself.

A cheer went up from the living room, and he chuckled to himself as he dropped his cap on the end of his bed and flopped down in his seat.

Nino spun around in his chair to face his keyboard, fingers poised over the keys as he opened up the synthesizer on his computer. A few minutes later, he had a basic drum beat going and was beginning to craft the melody.

He bobbed his head along to the rhythm that coursed through his headphones as he pieced together his latest song. A thud jarred him out of his element, and Nino's violent flinch threw his chair off balance.

The DJ crashed to the floor and a pair of concerned catlike eyes peered down at him from above. Nino's eyebrows pulled together in frustration as his heart pounded in his chest.

"Dude! Would it kill ya to text me before you break into my house?" Nino demanded.

Chat Noir gave Nino a sheepish grin and offered a gloved hand to help him up.

"Sorry, I was kinda preoccupied," the cat-themed superhero explained, hoisting the DJ to his feet.

"Well, you do look kinda out of it. What's up?" Nino asked, taking a seat on his bed in preparation for an Adrien Rant. They were rare occurrences, since the blond boy had nerves of steel, but even he needed to vent sometimes.

Chat Noir began pacing around Nino's room as he gathered his thoughts, hands clasped behind his back.

"You gonna change back, or are you gonna stay like that?" Nino deadpanned.

The teenage superhero suddenly stopped and whirled around to face his best friend.

"Help me, Nino."

The DJ scratched his head, "Uh, yeah. Sure, I'll do my best."

Chat Noir resumed moving, only to pause in the midst of his pacing once again. The tension in the cat boy's shoulders ebbed just enough for Nino to know he was comforted. An odd silence filled the room, and Nino cleared his throat.

"What do you need help with, dude?" he asked.

Green cat eyes locked onto him with a piercing gaze. "I need to tell Marinette how I feel about her, but I don't even know where to start!" he replied a bit hysterically.

The room fell silent save for the constant droning of the television that drifted in from the living room.

Nino busted out laughing, "And you came to  _me_  for help? Bro, you're the one who gave me lady advice last time, remember? You know more about that stuff than I do."

"I know, I know. But-" the cat boy began, trailing off as a look of horror crossed his face.

His leather cat ears flattened against his head, and his tail stopped swaying about behind him.

"I helped you ask Marinette out," the blond choked out, gloved hands coming up to shield his face from Nino's view.

The DJ seemed unfazed by the superhero's discomfort, and flopped down on his bed rather casually.

"The past is the past. We both have some regrets there," Nino replied easily.

Chat Noir groaned and slumped down to the ground. He sat cross-legged on the floor, chin supported by his hands and a frown on his face.

"I'm in so deep, Nino," he sighed.

"No kidding." Nino remarked. "Look, man. Just change back, and we can talk about how you're gonna ask her out."

The leather-clad superhero took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Yeah. I can do that," he murmured just before being engulfed in green light as his transformation dropped.

In the time it took Nino to blink, Plagg was lounged on his pillow with a lazy half-lidded expression. Adrien gazed at his best friend expectantly, and he shrugged in response.

"Knowing you, you're probably  _way_  overthinking it. Do something chill, y'know? Like, invite her for a walk in the park and tell her about your huge crush while you're there. No sweat." Nino paused and nodded to himself, as if impressed by his own advice.

Adrien blinked, "Nino. You're a genius."

The boy laughed. "Nope, I'm just not as dumb as you."

The blonde smirked. "I'll remember you said that when you need help on your homework." he said.

The cat kwami dropped his head on the pillow and kicked his legs out.

"I'm boooooored," he whined.

Then Plagg yawned loudly as if he still needed to alert them of his disinterest in their conversation. When they gave no acknowledgement, he rolled over to face away from them. If his ears twitched in their direction every so often, neither boy mentioned it.

After a few false starts, Adrien managed to ask Marinette to go for a walk the park with him after school. She said yes immediately, which made him question whether she realized it was supposed to be a date.

It bothered him a little, but he decided to overlook it in favor of worrying about more pressing matters. Matters like how to tell her about his overwhelming feelings.

All too soon, they were being dismissed from class and he could hear Marinette packing up her things behind him. The blond jolted as he realized that he should probably follow her example so as to not hold her up any longer than necessary.

He hastily stuffed his books into his bag and jumped to his feet, schooling himself into a relaxed pose as he leaned on Marinette's table. He moved a bit too quickly to look truly relaxed though, and she smiled as if holding back a laugh.

"Ready to go?" he asked, practically vibrating in place as she closed her backpack.

"Yep!" she replied as she stood up.

He began walking toward the door and Marinette looped her arm through his, settling her hand in the crook of his elbow. Adrien's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to meet her gaze, and she offered him a shy smile as she tightened her grip.

He grinned and led the way toward the park, emboldened by the warmth of her hand on his arm.

As the teenagers walked through the park, a light breeze rustled through the leaves of the trees and softened the heat of the sun. The sounds of children playing blended with the lilting notes of a distant street musician's melody.

Adrien listened intently while Marinette told a funny story about her dad's mishap with their new blender and the ensuing mess of pureed vegetables that ended up splattered all over the walls.

"There was even some on the ceiling!" she exclaimed.

Her giggles rang through the air, and Adrien noted that she looked even more beautiful when she laughed. He didn't have much time to admire her, though, since it seemed that her laugh was as contagious as it was lovely.

Marinette was laughing so hard that she almost ran straight into a large bald man in a tropical printed shirt. Adrien managed to pull her out of the way in time to save them both from the impact, but the man was so startled that his ice cream slipped off of his cone. It hit the pavement with a resounding splat.

The pig-tailed girl looked mortified and apologized profusely, but the man assured her in broken French that it was no problem. She offered him a few euros to buy a new ice cream cone, which he accepted after a few minutes of being pressured by a resolute Marinette.

The teens continued their walk, and Adrien allowed Marinette to carry the conversation. After all, her life was vastly more interesting than his was. She told him how her Uncle was doing, and asked Adrien for an impromptu lesson in Mandarin.

He taught her a few useful phrases that she didn't already know, and she picked them up rather quickly. Marinette noticed an ice cream stand and gazed at it longingly before she continued walking. Adrien quickly grabbed her hand to stop her, and smiled kindly when she gazed back at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Can I buy you some ice cream?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah. You can ice cream buy! B-Buy me. Ice cream," she brought her free hand up to smack her forehead.

He chuckled at her antics and led her to the stand. Adrien greeted the salesman and began placing his order, "Can I get two cones, please? Chocolate for me, and strawberry for the lovely lady."

Adrien turned to Marinette with a playful grin that belonged on Chat Noir's face.

"Your favorite  _is_  strawberry, right?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Marinette snorted, "Yeah. You asked Alya, didn't you?"

The salesman handed Adrien both of the ice cream cones after accepting payment for them.

"I guess you've caught me  _red_ -handed," he remarked, presenting the strawberry cone to the girl.

Marinette grabbed it and tilted her head to the side, "That was pretty weak. The ice cream is pink, not red."

Adrien shrugged, "The strawberries are red. You can't win them all."

The dark-haired girl giggled and dipped her finger in the ice cream before smearing it on his nose. Adrien scrunched his face up and scrubbed at it.

"Now I'm all sticky," he complained.

"Serves you right for that awful pun," Marinette replied, easily skipping out of reach when he attempted to wipe his fingers on her arm.

They began walking along the path again, licking their ice creams in companionable silence. Adrien gulped as he glanced down at her free hand as it swung by her side.

Sure, he'd grabbed it earlier and she hadn't complained, but would she allow it in a different context? He took a deep breath and reached out, brushing his fingertips against her palm as he tentatively slotted his fingers into hers.

She stiffened, and he braced himself for rejection as he awaited her reaction. Her face flushed bright red, and he tensed as he prepared for the worst.

Against all odds, her fingers tightened around his as she squeezed his hand and remained staring forward as they walked. Her shoulders were still stiff, and her face was still red, but she made no move to pull away from him. Adrien felt like his heart would fly out of his chest.

As they wandered through the park, Marinette's face slowly returned to its normal color despite a lingering pinkness in her cheeks. Adrien took another deep breath as he mustered his courage. His grip tightened on both the ice cream cone and her hand as he coaxed them to a stop. She turned to him with a curious look on her face.

"Marinette? I brought you here because I have something I wanted to tell you," he began, meeting her eyes with a serious air about him.

Her eyebrows pulled together as she stared back, her blue eyes filled with concern and wonder.

"You can tell me anything, Adrien," she affirmed, squeezing his hand encouragingly.

He smiled at her and stepped closer. "Marinette, I lo-"

A bright flash of light interrupted their moment, and in an inexplicable turn of events, their ice cream cones disappeared from their hands. A deep voice reverberated through the park in halting French, "IF I CAN'T HAVE ICE CREAM, NO ONE CAN!"

Both teenagers spun to face a brightly outfitted person who was undoubtedly the man who dropped his ice cream earlier. He held a gun that was shaped like a waffle cone, and proceeded to zap every person in sight.

Those who didn't have an ice cream cone miraculously received one, which disappeared right as they attempted to take a bite.

Marinette gave Adrien an exasperated look, "Looks like we'll have to postpone this conversation until later."

Adrien did his best to hide his disappointment and forced a smirk. "Don't you mean, cone-versation?" he asked.

The girl groaned and used their linked hands to pull him behind a large shrub before calling on her transformation and rushing out to fight the akumatized man.

Plagg flew out of his shirt cackling madly, "You almost get it out, and then the worst villain  _ever_  shows up to ruin everything!"

The cat kwami lurched unsteadily as his loud guffaws disrupted his ability to fly, and the blond boy crossed his arms over his chest. Plagg's mocking laughter showed no signs of slowing down.

Adrien sighed and lifted up his fist, "Plagg, claws out."

Chat Noir skidded around the bush and took his place beside Ladybug, who was staring down the akumatized man with her trademark determined glare.

"Fancy seeing you here, My Lady," he purred, throwing in a flirtatious wink that went ignored as usual.

"It's been a while, Kitty," she drawled, a laugh in her voice. Chat Noir's grin grew wider as he prepared to throw out a smooth pick-up line.

The akumatized man didn't seem to take kindly to being ignored, as he immediately began to yell.

"I am Captain Frosty, and you will give me your Miraculous!" the man shouted, aiming the waffle gun at Ladybug. The superheroes simply blinked in response.

Chat Noir snorted, planting the end of his baton in the dirt and leaning on the top of it. "Frosty? Like the Snowman?" he quipped.

The man faltered, "Not the… It's different!"

The cat themed superhero snickered, "Guess we better get this over with quickly, before you melt away!"

"It's  _different_!" The man shouted, shooting his waffle gun at Chat Noir.

Instead of making ice cream disappear, it shot out a continuous stream of it that Chat Noir narrowly managed to avoid.

The bystander a few feet behind him wasn't as lucky, and ended up stuck in place as the soft substance solidified.

Ladybug gave her partner a decisive look, "That was a close call! Don't get hit!"

Chat Noir gave her a sly grin as he evaded another blast, "Yeah, that'd be a sticky situation!"

She smiled and rolled her eyes as she used his distraction to summon Lucky Charm. Her actions drew Captain Frosty's eyes to her, and the cat boy scrambled to draw his attention yet again.

"Hey Frosty, no need to give me the  _cold_  shoulder!" he shouted, but the man persisted to shoot at Ladybug.

The cat boy gave him a solid whack on the shoulder with his baton, and successfully angered the man enough to divert his concentration from Ladybug.

It only took a few seconds for Ladybug's Lucky Charm to work its magic, and the ice cream villain was trapped within his own sticky prison. Ladybug plucked the cone gun from his hand and broke it over her knee, allowing the black butterfly to flutter out of it.

She quickly restored the city to order, and their fists met in their traditional victory cry. A beat of silence passed as they stared into the other's eyes, but eventually the flash of a camera jarred them back into action. Ladybug smiled conspiratorially and made a show of swinging off in a random direction.

Chat Noir waved at the starstruck teenager who took the photo, posing long enough for him to snag another before vaulting away in the opposite direction Ladybug had gone.

After feeding Plagg, Adrien rushed back to the park, where he almost slammed right into a winded Marinette. She let out a weak giggle, the breathlessness from running ruining it.

They both paused in the middle of the walkway as they caught their breath. After a while, Marinette turned to the blond boy with a sweet smile.

"You said you had something to tell me?" she prompted, clasping her hands and leaning forward with interest.

Adrien's cheeks took on a pink tinge as he forced himself to meet her eyes, "Y-Yeah. I, uh, actually wanted to tell you that-"

Marinette's ringtone interrupted his sentence, and the girl's eyes darted between him and her pocket, before she frowned.

"Sorry! My parents will get angry if I don't answer them," she explained, looking rather guilty.

Adrien shook his head, "It's fine! Your parents come first."

"Hello?"

She answered the phone and listened to the muffled voice on the other line while she reached out with her free hand to grasp Adrien's. She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze, as if to reassure him that he was important too.

He could feel the beginnings of a goofy grin forming on his face, when Marinette's smile suddenly morphed into a pout.

The pig-tailed girl whined into the phone, "But  _Papa,_ I was in the middle of-"

She paused, her bluebell eyes closing as she sighed, "Okay, I'll head back soon. I love you too, bye."

Marinette gazed into Adrien's eyes wistfully, "Sorry, I have to get home."

Adrien chuckled and glanced down at their joined hands, "It's okay. I can tell you later."

That night, Nino received yet another surprise visit from Chat Noir. He managed to stay in his chair that time, though Adrien insisted it didn't count if the chair toppled over  _with_  him.

"It was a disaster, Nino. Ice cream akuma. He made ice cream  _disappear_ ," Adrien lamented, dramatically flinging himself onto his best friend's bed.

Nino shook his head. "She let you hold her hand. That's a good sign, bro." he insisted.

Adrien tilted his head from his face-down position just enough to glare at Nino.

"I didn't tell her how I feel about her. That's the whole reason I asked her to go with me," he muttered. The DJ observed the pouting boy from his place at the head of the bed.

Nino crossed his arms, "Well, only one thing left to do, dude."

Adrien lifted his head, curiosity shining in his green eyes. "What?"

The DJ smirked and rubbed his hands together, "We bring out the big guns."

The blond's eyes widened, and he shot upright.

"You don't mean…?"

"Oh yes." Nino confirmed, nodding with satisfaction at his new idea. It was a brilliant one, of course.

If anyone could help Adrien confess to Marinette, it was Alya Césaire.


	8. Trials II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to bring out the big guns!

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Alya drawled as she steepled her fingers and peered at her friends over her glasses.

Nino looked particularly unamused as he scrambled down from his place on Chat Noir's back. Before Alya even had time to tease the DJ, the cat-themed superhero immediately fixed her with the most powerful set of kitten eyes she'd ever seen.

Alya frowned. "What do you want, Agreste?" she deadpanned.

Chat Noir slapped on Adrien's signature charming smile and cocked his head to the side in an admittedly cute fashion, his cat ears flattening on his head to portray the picture of innocence.

"I need a huge favor," he said.

"He needs your matchmaking expertise," Nino explained before flopping down on her floor and making himself comfortable amongst the discarded decorative pillows there.

Alya raised an eyebrow at the model. "Is this real life?" she asked.

The cat boy nodded his head enthusiastically, and detransformed in a flash of green light.

"Okay, I wanted to tell Marinette how I feel about her today so I asked her to go to the park with me. I don't think she knew it was supposed to be a date, and then I made the worst pun known to man. I mean, she let me hold her hand later, but maybe it was just supposed to be platonic and I'm reading way to much into it?"

The blogger muffled her laughter at the idea of Marinette's reaction to Adrien holding her hand. 

 _Marinette_  seeing holding hands with Adrien as  _platonic_? Absurd. Alya gave Nino a pointed look, and the DJ shrugged helplessly.

The blond boy's emerald green eyes nearly sparkled as he sighed dreamily. "But I'm  _really_  enjoying reading too much into it." he breathed.

The blogger tapped her chin thoughtfully, "If it went so well, why didn't you confess?"

"Pffft!"

Plagg chose that moment to make his presence known, his nearly maniacal laughter startling the teenagers. The cat kwami wiped at his eyes as he tried to calm himself.

"Ice cream akuma. He called himself  _Captain_   _Frosty_! Bwahahaha!" Plagg wheezed.

Alya snapped her fingers, "Oh yeah! I heard about him. You know, sometimes I forget that you guys have to drop whatever you're doing to fight evil."

Adrien snickered, "For someone obsessed with frozen dessert, he wasn't very  _cool_."

Nino scowled and nudged Adrien with his foot, " _You_  aren't very cool, bro."

Alya waved her hand dismissively, "All jokes aside, you asked her to go to the park? We hang out there all the time, so of course she wasn't sure it was a date."

Nino glared at the girl. "Hey! The park is a great place for a relaxed date." he argued.

Alya rolled her eyes, "Maybe if you're already  _together_!"

The blogger turned her attention to Adrien, grabbing his wrist and pulling him over to have a seat next to her on the edge of her bed.

"Sunshine, listen to me. If you want Marinette to know you're asking her on a date, you've gotta take her to a nice restaurant. It's a classic date thing, and there can be no misunderstanding there. Go big or go home!" she said enthusiastically.

His eyes lit up as her advice soaked in, "Yeah, you're right."

"How's he gonna tell her in an uptight place like that?" Nino remarked, crossing his arms and glaring at the blogger.

The girl simply rolled her eyes, "If it's a nice enough restaurant, the tables will be arranged so that it feels very private."

Plagg and Nino simultaneously rolled their eyes, while Adrien considered her advice.

"I think that's a great idea, Alya. Besides, who knows Marinette better than you?" Adrien reasoned.

"Exactly," Alya exclaimed, sticking her tongue out at Nino. Plagg curled up on a pillow and muttered something that they could have sworn included the word "failure".

Adrien's eyes danced with unconcealed excitement as his mind drifted to the romantic candlelit dinner of his dreams, "A tasteful flower arrangement and dinner by candlelight…Obviously, a string quartet for some ambiance…"

Alya and Nino blinked at him in unison, their expressions carefully blank. Alya shot Nino a look that clearly meant  _he_  was the one who had to deal with the problem.

The DJ cleared his throat and tugged on the edge of his t-shirt awkwardly, "Uh, that's really nice and all, but don't you think it's a  _little_ … well…"

Alya rolled her eyes at his less than eloquent explanation, and turned to Adrien with a sympathetic look.

"It's a  _really_  sweet idea, and you're adorable," she began.

Adrien narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "But?"

Nino watched Alya struggle for words with obvious interest. Her expression settled into one of remorse, as she seemed to have decided to put it bluntly.

"But it's kinda corny. Sorry, Adrien. Save stuff like that for five year anniversaries or something," she explained, hands up in a placating gesture.

"Oh. Sorry, I guess it was a little over the top," he replied, flushing bright red.

"No problem. That's what I'm here for!" Alya replied, with a casual wave of her hand.

Adrien frowned, "There  _is_  a problem, though. I don't know that any of the nicer restaurants would have reservations open on such short notice."

Alya grinned mischievously, "Don't worry about  _anything_ , Agreste. I have connections, and I know exactly what Marinette would want. Consider me your official date-planner!"

…

"Marinette has been ready for an hour, and she headed to the restaurant early to wait for you. You're  _not_  going to be late on my watch," Alya warned.

Adrien gulped as Alya straightened his tie and brushed invisible dust off of the shoulders of his impeccable suit jacket. Adrien's back was ramrod straight, and there was enough tension in his jaw that the muscles in his neck were taut.

"Dude,  _breathe_." Nino reminded him from a few paces behind Alya.

The model took a deep breath and attempted to get his heart rate under control. He wasn't very successful, but at least he wasn't unintentionally holding his breath anymore.

"I'm so nervous. What if this is all too formal? Or not formal enough?" Adrien murmured as he fidgeted with the ends of his sleeves.

Alya scoffed, "Please. People have been confessing their love in restaurants for ages. It's tried and true."

Nino made a face behind her back that expressed his displeasure with the blogger's idea but gave Adrien a thumbs-up anyhow.

The model gave them both an uneasy smile and scuffed the bottom of his shoe against the pavement.

"If you say so," he murmured.

"I  _know_  so. Now get in there and be charming," Alya commanded, whirling him around to face the door and giving him a forceful shove.

He robotically ascended the stairs to the entrance, but paused with his hand on the knob.

"Plagg, I can't do this," he whispered urgently.

"I suppose you want encouragement," the cat kwami's lazy voice drifted up from Adrien's pocket.

The blonde didn't answer, too nervous to respond. A tired sigh sounded before Plagg's bright green eyes peeked up at him from the inside of his jacket.

"You're Chat Noir, kid. When you get nervous, remember that." With that small tidbit of advice, the tiny cat creature ducked back into his pocket and disappeared.

Adrien took another breath.

"I'm Chat Noir. I've got this," he murmured to himself, allowing his shoulders to relax before he stepped through the door.

He was immediately greeted by Marinette's beautiful smile, and he felt the rest of the tension melt away immediately. There was something about being in his partner's presence that put him at ease. She was wearing a classy blush pink dress that ended just above her knees. It was perfectly tailored in a way only a designer could achieve, and her dark hair was loose and curled.

An involuntary smile stretched across his face, and he knew he needed to let her know just how lovely she looked. She deserved nothing less than an eloquent and gentlemanly compliment, of course. However, it was hard to think when he was smiling at him like that.

"Marinette, you look  _purr_ fect," he blurted.

His heart clenched in an icy panic as he realized what he'd done. She rolled her eyes at the pun, and he scrambled to correct his mistake.

"That was an accident, I swear! I-I meant to say you look beautiful," he stammered awkwardly.

Her smile widened and she gestured to his jacket, "Thanks, you look beautiful too."

She clapped a hand over her mouth as her eyes widened comically. Adrien wasn't sure what to do with this new information, so he stood frozen as Marinette gathered her wits.

The young designer cleared her throat, but daren't remove her hand from its place over her mouth; her voice was muffled when she spoke once again.

"You look  _handsome,_ " she said.

She nodded her head as if to confirm that her correction was suitable.

Adrien grinned mischievously and leaned a bit closer to her, "You think I'm  _beautiful_."

Marinette rolled her eyes, "Well, that's not exactly news. You're a  _supermodel_."

The mischief in his grin dissolved immediately, giving way to a much more vulnerable smile. "It means more coming from you, Princess." he murmured.

The hand that Marinette had clamped over her mouth moved to hover in between them, and she gazed into his eyes searchingly. Just as she seemed to have made a decision on how to proceed, the moment was interrupted.

"Right this way, Mr. Agreste," the man at the front desk called, gesturing to the left where a server waited to lead them to their table.

Adrien reluctantly pulled his eyes away from Marinette to acknowledge the man's instructions. She took his arm as the waiter led them past tables of people, and Adrien was able to properly admire the romantic atmosphere inside the restaurant. The lighting was dim but not dingy, and the tables were arranged to give the illusion of privacy despite the volume of people inside.

The server seated them at a table near a large window that overlooked the river, and Marinette gasped as she looked around. She turned her attention to the menu soon after Adrien ordered waters for them both. As soon as the waiter left, she turned to Adrien with an uneasy expression.

"There aren't prices on this menu," she whispered.

He chuckled sheepishly, "Oh don't worry about that, Marinette."

She blushed and fiddled with the edges of the menu. "W-Well, I kind of need to know prices so I'll know what I can afford." she stammered.

Adrien's eyes widened. "No, no! I've got the bill," he insisted.

She still looked uncertain, and he decided to draw on his Chat Noir persona a little more.

"A gentleman  _never_  leaves his lady with the check," he remarked with a wink.

Marinette snorted, "Why did I  _ever_  think Adrien Agreste was dignified?"

Adrien shifted into an elegant pose and smirked flirtatiously, "I don't know what you're talking about. I am the  _picture_  of  _model_  behavior."

Marinette's blue eyes flashed with amusement as she giggled, "Those puns were awful!"

"Excuse me, are you both ready to order?" the server asked, having returned while they weren't paying attention. They both jolted to attention and Adrien offered the man a charming smile and made small talk while Marinette scrambled to look at the menu.

Adrien ordered the first thing he recognized, and then glanced at Marinette searchingly. She quickly pointed to something, and the server rushed off after a polite exchange.

They lapsed into a charged silence, which seemed to somehow drown out the low hum of conversation that filled the restaurant.

Marinette worried her lip while Adrien fretted over how to confess his love to the girl who sat across the table from him.

"I was wondering if-"

"I wanted to say-"

The teens blinked at each other before shouting in unison, "You first!"

Someone in the distance shushed them, and the teens colored in embarrassment.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, what I have to say can wait. You go ahead, Marinette."

Her blush darkened, and she began twirling her hair around her finger as she avoided eye contact with him.

"Well, I was just thinking. I mean, with the low lighting and dramatic view… N-Not to mention the fancy menu, and all…" she trailed off, fingers clenching around the strand of hair she was playing with. Adrien nodded his encouragement, and she let loose a breathy laugh.

"I mean, doesn't it seem a little like a date?" she blurted, eyes glued to a painting on the wall behind Adrien's head.

Adrien's stomach did a panicky flip, and he forced a smile that may have been a bit too wide.

"Oh. Oh! W-Well, it is a romantic looking restaurant. It doesn't have to be! Romantic, I mean! My father has business lunches in places like this. Not that this isn't a good place for a date! I mean, the ambiance is great, don't you think? I think-"

He cut himself off, realizing that his word vomit was only digging him into a deeper hole. Adrien glanced away from Marinette's stunned face, and his eyes landed on a couple seated at a table on the indoor balcony that overlooked the first floor seating.

The couple looked suspiciously like Alya and Nino. The young lady slapped a hand to her forehead, and Adrien blushed as he realized that his best friends had been witnesses to his monumental failure of a date.

Nino gestured in Adrien's direction, and Alya made eye contact before making a calming gesture with her hands. She whipped out her phone and held it to her ear while Nino gave Adrien a thumbs-up.

"What are you looking at?" Marinette interjected, and Adrien jumped at her voice.

"Nothing!" he yelped, meeting her eyes again.

She seemed unconvinced, but dropped the topic when the waiter returned with a covered dish. It was much too soon for their food to be done, so Adrien was rather confused.

"The chef insists that you both try the new appetizer sampler. On the house, of course." The waiter explained, placing the food on the table before turning on his heel and retreating to the kitchen.

Marinette's eyes lit up as she gazed upon the lovely appetizer spread. "Wow! It's so pretty. I almost feel guilty for eating it!" she exclaimed with a laugh.

"I know, right?" Adrien chuckled along with her.

Marinette straightened up, a very  _Ladybug_  look of determination on her face. The blond's heart thudded unsteadily, and stared at her with an unabashed lovesick expression on his face.

"Well, this food isn't going to eat itself!" she announced and whipped out her fork, quickly spearing a piece of shrimp and popping it into her mouth.

"Mmm! It tastes as good as it looks!" she exclaimed, bringing the fork down on another shrimp.

Adrien tore his eyes away from her long enough to fumble for his fork. When he finally managed to get the food into his mouth, he could see what all the fuss was about. Everything on the plate was simply divine.

While the dark-haired girl dug into the appetizer plate, Adrien shot a grateful look in Alya's direction. The blogger nodded and motioned for him to get on with it.

The boy took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was Chat Noir once again.

"Marinette?" he murmured, hoping to drag her attention away from the food long enough to say what he wanted to say.

"Hm?" she replied, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin.

"I actually brought you here because I wanted to tell you something," Adrien began, watching with wonder as her bluebell eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Is it the same something you were trying to tell me at the park?" she asked, astute as always.

He chuckled. "Yes, that exactly what I'm talking about." he said.

Marinette made a show of putting her fork down and sitting up straight, wordlessly assuring him that he had her undivided attention.

"Marinette, you and I haven't known each other for a very long time, but you know me better than anyone else in the world," Adrien stated, radiating the truth of his statement with every fiber of his being.

The dark haired girl gave a soft smile in response to the earnest expression on his face, "I know the feeling."

Adrien smiled brightly, reaching across the table to rest his hand over hers, "There's something I've wanted to tell you, ever since the very beginning."

She twisted her hand so that she could thread her fingers through his, and his heart gave a pleasant little lurch.

"You can tell me anything," she reiterated, that determined look making a brief reappearance.

He gave her hand a little squeeze, "Marinette, I lo-"

A covered dish descended onto the table and interfered with Adrien's view of Marinette's eyes. He blinked owlishly as another dish found its home directly in front of him.

"Don't mind me, I'll be on my way shortly," the waiter announced.

He uncovered the plates and walked away with the covers in hand. Marinette looked vaguely annoyed, and Adrien felt like crawling under a rock.

There was an ambiguous sound from the balcony that resembled muffled screams of frustration.

"You were saying?" Marinette prompted, giving Adrien a look that told him she was still supportive of him despite the interruption.

Unfortunately, he'd lost his nerve somewhere along the way, and found himself unable to spit the words out.

"Um. Uh. Ah! I-I…" Adrien stammered, willing himself to come out with it already.

Suddenly, Alya's presence seemed stifling and the murmur of voices was too loud and the romantic setting made him even more nervous.

"I can't do it!" he exclaimed, pulling his hand from her grasp so that he could hide his flushed face.

Marinette stood up rather abruptly, pulling her chair over next to his with a loud scraping. She gently pulled his hands away from his face and placed eating utensils in them.

"Let's eat and get out of here," she suggested. Her encouraging smile was all he needed to calm his nerves. They both began eating, side-by-side rather than across the table from each other.

On the walk to Marinette's house, Adrien offered her a sad smile. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to tell you tonight," he said.

Marinette grinned and playfully bumped his arm with her elbow, "And I really wanted to hear it! Whatever it is, I'm ready to listen whenever you're ready to tell me."

She stopped at the door of her house, and turned to face him. Adrien grinned, feeling some of his Chat Noir confidence reappearing, "I won't make My Lady wait too long."

Marinette giggled and fixed him with a breathtaking smile, "I'll hold you to that."

She reached out and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before disappearing behind the door. Adrien didn't know how or when they had progressed to such casual handholding, but he was definitely not going to complain.

A frustrated sigh emanated from his pocket, and Plagg peeked out with obvious annoyance. "I'd say I was surprised you managed to mess that up, but I'm not," the kwami drawled.

Adrien narrowed his eyes at the cat creature, "Just go ahead and rub in it, Plagg."

The kwami snickered, "Oh, I  _will_."

…

Alya paced around Adrien's room, she gesticulated wildly as she ranted about the incompetence of the waiter. Plagg lounged in the waste bin with a wedge of cheese, ignoring the teenagers in favor of savoring his food.

Nino seemed to be trying to school his expression into a neutral one, but he still looked decidedly smug.

Adrien frowned up at her from his place seated on the bed. "Don't blame him, Alya. He was just doing his job," he reasoned.

Alya huffed and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, doing it  _wrong_."

Adrien opened his mouth to argue some more, but Nino gave him a meaningful look. 

_Quit while you're ahead, dude._

Nino shrugged and leaned back in Adrien's desk chair, "I blame the setting. You two can't really be yourselves around all those people."

Alya whirled to face the DJ, and Adrien wondered if Nino was immune to his own advice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, hands on her hips as she stared him down.

Nino seemed unfazed by her anger, and gave her a nonchalant wave.

"I mean, they can't really act like Ladybug and Chat Noir with all those people around. Normal Adrien is a ball of nerves. Ya can't expect the dude to be smooth if he can't act like his superhero self," Nino said with a shrug.

The blond stared at his best friend for a few seconds before hanging his head in shame.

"I don't know guys. I think I'm just too awkward at all this romance stuff. Even- Even as Chat Noir, I don't really know what I'm doing," he murmured, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy.

Alya and Nino looked quite alarmed by Adrien's admission of insecurity.

The blogger raised her hands in distress. "What? No!" Alya exclaimed.

Nino dashed over to sit next to the blond, slinging an affectionate arm over his shoulder. "No way, dude! You're, like, the romance expert!"

Alya nodded enthusiastically. "Seriously, Chat Noir is the  _definition_  of smooth," she said.

Adrien pouted, "Yeah, Chat Noir. Not Adrien."

A muffled snort emanated from the trashcan. The blogger rolled her eyes, and Nino gave his best friend's shoulders a squeeze.

"That's  _you_ , man. We just gotta get you past whatever's holding you back. After that, you can lay on the charm. Marinette won't know what hit her!" Nino turned to Alya for backup.

She adjusted her glasses, and a rather frightening smirk appeared on her face. "I think this problem calls for someone even wiser than me." Alya said.

Nino turned to her, an alarmed expression on his face. "You mean-?"

Adrien's eyes brightened with understanding. "I think I know where you're going with this," he said.

Plagg zipped into sight, a lazy grin on his face.

"Geez, I thought you'd never ask," the Kwami drawled.

The three teens gave Plagg a flat look, and Alya swatted at him with her hand. The cat kwami phased through it, looking rather unperturbed for someone Alya had taken a swing at.

"Not you! You'd probably tell him to get her cheese or something," the blogger accused, waving a finger in the cat creature's face.

"You're not mature enough to appreciate my refined tastes," Plagg replied with a haughty grin.

Alya huffed and turned back to Adrien, "We're going to the only one who knows Marinette better than I do."

Plagg groaned and plopped down into the trashcan once more, "This is going to be even worse than the ice cream akuma."

The boys grinned.

"Let's do it."


	9. Trials III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has a chat with a love expert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw some similarities between this chapter and Glaciator, so I wanted to let you all know that I hadn't seen that episode yet when I wrote this!
> 
> It's kind of funny how many of my head canons ended up being close to canon.

As the trio approached the door to Marinette's house, Adrien began having second thoughts about their latest scheme. A loud crash emanated from the other side of the door, and Marinette's annoyed voice rang out loud and clear from the other side.

"Manon, if you don't put that back, I'll put you in time out!"

Adrien turned to Alya with an anxious expression. "She doesn't sound like she's in a good mood," he whispered, fully prepared to retreat back down the stairs.

Alya and Nino clamped onto either of his arms, preventing escape.

"She's babysitting.  _Nobody's_  in a good mood when they're babysitting," Alya explained with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Nino promptly rang the doorbell, sealing their fate. After a few more thuds and screeches, a haggard looking Marinette appeared in the doorway. Her left pigtail was nearly falling out, and the hem of her shirt was askew. Her blue eyes widened as they landed on Adrien, and she shot Alya an exasperated look.

"I came to help you with that little angel," Alya announced as she let herself into the living room. She squeezed by Marinette and made herself at home.

"Those two decided to tag along because they didn't want to be lonely," she added, as if it was an afterthought.

"I appreciate it, but Manon's only going to be here for thirty more minutes," Marinette explained just before a crash came from the kitchen.

The girl's eyes widened, and she rushed off in that direction.

"You guys can wait in my room!" Marinette called over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

"Told ya it would work," Alya remarked.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, and a smug look adorned her face.

Nino sighed, "Well, let's get going."

In a matter of a few minutes, they were all seated rather comfortably as they faced the one they came to see.

"To avoid another round of Adrien's word vomit: the last two attempts were disasters. You see why we need your expertise," Alya explained, hands clasped together as she bowed in respect.

"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm an  _expert,_ " a feminine voice drawled.

Plagg shot out of Adrien's shirt with an indignant scoff, "Oh please, you're  _always_  playing matchmaker. Why don't you just admit that you think you're Cupid incarnate?"

"Plagg. Always a pleasure," Tikki replied sweetly before turning to Adrien with a kind smile.

"My advice is to be yourself, Adrien."

The blond shifted uncomfortably, "But  _myself_  is awkward and inarticulate."

Tikki giggled and shook her head, "Your  _true_  self. You're Adrien Agreste and you're Chat Noir, but most importantly: you're  _you_."

He blinked, his mind swimming with half formed questions.

Tikki's deep blue eyes stared back at him, and he could see centuries of wisdom dancing in their depths.

"What do  _you_  want to do?" she asked.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before turning to Tikki with a shy smile.

"Something really romantic," he murmured, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

The ladybug kwami's smile grew, "That sounds great! What kind of location were you thinking of?"

Adrien's eyes filled with warmth as he glanced out the window as a flock of pigeons flew by.

"Maybe a rooftop near the Eiffel Tower," he said.

"But that's so cliché!" Alya chimed in.

Nino nodded his agreement, and the blond boy frowned. Tikki placed a tiny hand on Adrien's cheek to get his attention.

"Tell me  _why_  you chose the Eiffel Tower," Tikki prompted.

"Because…that's where I first fell in love with Ladybug, and I've been falling ever since," he murmured, staring out the window once again.

"Aww," Alya and Nino chorused, causing Adrien's blush to deepen.

"You're such a sweetheart," Tikki cooed, clapping her little hands together with glee.

"You mean a sap," Plagg muttered darkly.

The black cat kwami ignored the round of incensed glares.

"Since you decided on the Eiffel Tower, I think it would be best if you planned to go there as Chat Noir. Ooh, you could put together a moonlit picnic!" Tikki exclaimed, twirling in midair while her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Nino dragged a hand across his face. "That's  _really_  over the top, though," he said.

Tikki turned to the DJ with a smile that could only be described as smug.

"Have you ever known Chat Noir to be  _anything_   _but_  over the top? I think it suits him perfectly," Tikki said.

The kwami returned her attention to Adrien. "Tell me more!" she said.

Adrien furrowed his brow in thought.

"I've always wanted to put together a candlelit dinner with flowers and soft music," he explained, giving Tikki a hopeful look.

"That sounds lovely. My suggestion would be to have battery powered candles and the flowers in heavy containers to combat the wind," the ladybug kwami suggested.

Adrien was nearly vibrating with excitement at the prospect of such a grand gesture, and Alya sighed in resignation.

"You can use a Bluetooth speaker for the music," the blogger suggested, unable to resist the temptation to help the plan succeed, no matter how far-fetched it was.

"I'll put together the playlist," Nino offered, already getting excited about the prospect of using the power of music to make his best friend's dreams come true.

"And I'll make sure Marinette gets there," Tikki said with a giggle.

The teens launched into plans for a date and time, while Plagg gave the ladybug kwami an annoyed glare.

When Marinette got home from school on Friday, she was more than ready to settle into bed for a binge-watching session with Tikki. They still had six more seasons to go before they were caught up on the show, and the episodes weren't going to watch themselves.

She flopped down on the bed and burrowed into the covers as Tikki opened up the laptop. After pulling the show up, the kwami settled into the folds of the blanket next to Marinette's head while the title sequence played.

Six episodes in, Tikki sat up at attention.

"Marinette, maybe we should transform and do a quick patrol," she suggested.

Marinette frowned; her disappointment was rather apparent.

"What? It's binge day!" she said.

Marinette glanced at the clock and giggled, "Well, binge  _night_."

Tikki nodded, "I know, but it doesn't have to be a long one. Just to the Eiffel Tower and back."

"Is something wrong, Tikki?" the pigtailed girl asked, concern etched into her features.

The kwami shrugged, "I don't think so. I just have a feeling you should check it out."

Marinette groaned and buried her face in the blanket. "I guess I could use the exercise," she grumbled. With that, she extricated herself from the warm covers and closed her laptop.

"Tikki, spots on!"

As Ladybug swung through the buildings of Paris, she wondered what exactly was going on with Tikki. It wasn't as if the Kwami was never spontaneous, but this seemed a bit out of character for her.

The Eiffel Tower came into view, and it was immediately evident that there was nothing different about it. She alighted on a roof near the tower to stretch her arms, and was a bit surprised to see Chat Noir appear on the rooftop across the street.

"Fancy seeing you here, My Lady," he quipped, leaning on his baton as he flashed her a playful smile.

She quickly swung across the street and landed next to him, an inquisitive look on her face.

"What are you doing here, Chat?" she asked, noting that there was something different in his stance.

His usual charisma was there, but something else was brimming beneath the surface.

"There's only one thing more beautiful than Paris at night," he replied, gazing out at the skyline.

The spotted superheroine laughed softly, "What could  _possibly_  be more beautiful than Paris at night?"

His grin stretched even wider as he leaned closer to her, cupping a hand around his mouth as if sharing a secret.

"That would be you," he stage-whispered.

Ladybug felt a blush fighting its way to the surface as she gazed into his catlike green eyes; the same eyes as Adrien's and yet so different. Her breath caught in her throat as his clawed fingers slipped in between hers. Chat Noir gave her hand a soft tug, and she followed along beside him as he approached the other side of the rooftop.

"I want to show you something," he explained, voice full of excitement for some unknown reason.

She didn't have to wonder for long, since the roof they were standing on was the perfect vantage point to the candlelit balcony below.

Two wrought-iron chairs sat beside each other facing the lights of the Eiffel Tower. The table was set up with two covered dishes and a floral arrangement in the center, and a small Bluetooth speaker played a soft violin melody.

She gasped as her eyes roved over the obviously romantic set-up and landed on her partner's hopeful expression. There was no way this could be construed as a friendly get-together, or so she hoped.

"Do you like it?" he asked, a shy smile on his lips that didn't seem like it belonged there.

"It's amazing! You did all this for me?" Ladybug asked.

Her blue eyes drifted between him and the candlelit dinner; he fixed her with an intense look.

"I'd do anything for you, Bugaboo." he said.

The superheroine could feel her heart pounding in her chest at being on the receiving end of such a sincere statement, and took a deep breath to steady herself before swinging over to the balcony.

He landed beside her with a soft thud, and pulled out the chair while motioning for her to sit down. She accepted his invitation, and smiled as he plopped down into the seat beside her.

When he pulled the metal covers off of their plates, she was greeted by an absolutely beautiful meal that belonged in a five star restaurant.

"Courtesy of Chef Cesaíre," he explained with a sheepish laugh.

Ladybug gave a happy sigh and beamed at him.

"Adrien, this is beautiful. Thank you," she said.

He chuckled and nudged her with his elbow, "Who is this Adrien fellow? I'm Chat Noir."

The red suited girl laughed good-naturedly and picked up her fork.

"Thank you,  _Chat Noir,_ " she said.

"It was my pleasure," he replied, mirroring her movements as she began to eat.

They finished their meal in companionable silence. The noises of the city blended with Nino's playlist to compliment the flickering candlelight and smell of flowers.

Ladybug sighed in contentment as her head came to rest on the blond boy's shoulder. After a few more minutes of watching the Parisian skyline, Chat Noir rested his cheek against her midnight hair. His leather tail made the occasional rustling noise as it flicked behind them.

The wind picked up, and he was grateful that Tikki had suggested the fake candles. Chat Noir took a cleansing breath.

"Ladybug, I'm finally going to tell you what I've been trying to say for the past few weeks," he stated with conviction.

She sat up and looked him in the eye, unconcealed curiosity in her gaze.

"I'm listening, Kitty."

His ears were flattened against his head, betraying his nervousness. The wind whipped her dark hair around her face in an angelic halo, and he marveled at her beauty.

"The very first time we met, we were in these suits. You were nervous and I was reckless, and somehow we managed to save Paris together. When you faced off against Hawkmoth and you promised the whole city that we'd keep them safe…that's when I  _knew_ ," he murmured, meeting her eyes with the most serious expression she'd ever seen.

"Knew what?" she whispered, afraid that her voice would shatter the delicate silence that stretched between them.

He took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze, "That's when I  _knew_ -"

Lightning flashed as a crash of thunder shook the ground. Angry, dark clouds swirled in the sky as the wind threatened to carry off their tablecloth.

A fat raindrop splashed on the end of Ladybug's nose, and that was the only warning they received before a torrent of rain descended upon the picnic.

Chat Noir stiffened as the rain drenched his hair in a matter of seconds. He glared up at the sky with all the malice he could manage. Ladybug doubled over with raucous laughter, clutching her sides as she snorted in a distinctly un-ladylike manner.

"O-Oh, Chat! The- The look on y-your face!" she hiccupped.

It was hard to tell if there were tears streaming from her eyes or if it was just rain pouring down her face.

Another crack of thunder punctuated Ladybug's animated laughter, and her pigtails hung loosely around her shoulders, weighed down by the water that dripped from them.

Despite the frustration of another thwarted attempt, Chat Noir was unable to stay angry for long when his lady was having such a good time. Their laughs mingled with the pitter-patter of the rain on the pavement while lightening bathed the city in flickering brilliance.

There truly  _was_  only one thing more beautiful than Paris at night.


	10. Trials IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien does his best.

The bright sunny weather that bathed the streets of Paris belied the dark maelstrom of emotions that raged within one Adrien Agreste. By the time Monday rolled around, the freak lightening storm that interrupted his confession was no longer a laughing matter.

"Maybe that blogger girl should call you  _Storm Cloud_  instead of Sunshine, eh kid?" Plagg remarked with an amused expression on his face.

"You're not funny, Plagg," Adrien muttered.

"I told you you'd regret not asking for my advice in the first place. Are you ready to admit defeat?" the kwami hummed, mischief dancing in his slitted eyes.

The model sighed and paused in the middle of the walkway, unfazed by the fact that he was going to be late for school.

" _Fine_. I'll try anything, at this point."

He crossed his arms over his chest as Plagg floated out to hover at eye level.

"Good. Now listen well, cause I'm not gonna repeat myself," the cat creature warned.

"Okay? I'm listening," Adrien replied, an uncharacteristic frown on his face.

"Stop trying." Plagg deadpanned.

Adrien gave him a flat look, "Seriously? Why-"

"I'm not finished," the kwami interrupted with a roll of his eyes.

"You've spent so much time trying to  _plan_  everything that you've lost sight of the bigger picture. You don't need flowers or a fancy dinner. Stop waiting for the perfect moment to come along; it doesn't exist."

The kwami narrowed his eyes at his chosen, and poked him in the nose, "Blurt. It. Out."

Adrien's eyebrows pulled together, communicating his skepticism, "That doesn't sound-"

"Forget literally everything you know about tact.  _Blurt it out_." Plagg ordered, before retreating into Adrien's pocket.

The blond boy scoffed and continued up the stairs and into the school, scuffing his feet along the way to convey his displeasure to the kwami in his shirt pocket. Class was already in session, and Ms. Mendeliev gave him a withering glare that he usually responded to with a disarming smile.

He didn't have the energy to answer at all, and simply made his way to his seat in order to resume pouting as soon as possible.

_Blurt it out._

It was Plagg's advice, but nothing else had worked so far. It was worth a shot, so Adrien resolved to confess to Marinette at the first chance he got.

He could do that; it was simple. However, once he made up his mind to follow Plagg's advice, it seemed like keeping it in took monumental effort.

_Blurt it out._

The droning of the teacher's voice grated on his nerves, and every tick of the clock on the wall seemed to hack away at his paper-thin patience. He vaguely noted that Nino was giving him concerned glances, and where that would normally fill him with warmth, it only served to exacerbate his foul mood.

_Blurt it out._

He jiggled his leg impatiently and his eyes locked on the clock. The second hand seemed to move in slow motion. Every movement took a year, and Adrien's heart thudded against his chest in anticipation.

The pressure was building beneath the surface, and it was all Adrien could do to stay put. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears.

He was like a volcano preparing to erupt.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" he shouted, leaping from his seat so quickly that his books fell to ground with a loud crash.

The class collectively cringed at the abrupt volume of their usually tranquil classmate.

"First, it was Captain Frosty, and then that rude waiter, and then an  _actual_  spontaneous lightening storm!? THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE HATES ME!" Adrien shouted deafeningly before whirling to face Marinette, his anger giving way to pure incredulity.

"I just wanted, like, five minutes!  _Is that too much to ask_?" he hissed, oblivious to the odd looks he was receiving from his classmates.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the classroom, and Adrien flushed with embarrassment as the full impact of his actions occurred to him.

He'd made a terrible mistake.

"Sorry," he squeaked, frozen beneath the shocked stares of his classmates.

Marinette's eyes were wide with concern, and Ms. Mendeliev cleared her throat.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, would you please escort Mr. Agreste to the Guidance Counselor's office?"

Marinette nearly tripped in her haste to get out of her seat, grabbing Adrien's shoulders and steering him toward the door.

"S-Sure thing!" she called over her shoulder as she pushed him out of the classroom and slammed the door behind them.

She didn't stop until they were outside of the building, and she gently guided him to sit on the nearby bench.

"I really messed up," he muttered miserably, burying his face in his hands.

Marinette wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"What is  _going on_  with you, Kitty?" she whispered as she rubbed his back comfortingly.

He sighed and shifted so that he could look her in the eyes. She removed her arm from his shoulders only to slip her hand into his as she patiently awaited his explanation.

"It's just… Everything keeps going wrong," he murmured, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand.

"Oh, Adrien. Sometimes life doesn't go the way we plan, but that's no reason to give up," she stated in a reassuring tone of voice.

Her blue eyes sparkled with Ladybug confidence, and Adrien found himself being drawn in by her once again.

"Or to blow your top in class," she tacked on, a smile in her voice.

"I know. I'm sorry for losing my temper," he apologized with a sheepish laugh.

Marinette snorted in amusement, "I don't think I've ever seen you so frustrated! I didn't know you were  _capable_  of losing your temper."

She smirked playfully, and he couldn't help but to return the gesture.

"If this kitty lost his temper too often, it'd be  _cat-_ astrophic," he stated with a self-satisfied grin.

"Ugh. I'm glad you're feeling better," she replied with only a minor frown at his cat pun.

"I always feel better when I'm with you," he murmured fervently, giving her fingers a tender squeeze.

The edges of her lips turned up in a shy smile.

"I feel better when I'm with you, too," she said.

His smile widened as he reached with his free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You know how I've been trying to tell you something for a while now?" he hedged.

Marinette's cheeks colored in response to his touch, and she nodded with a quick jerk of her head.

"Y-Yeah."

"I'm ready to tell you now," he replied, fingers still resting against her cheek.

She gave a breathy laugh and tightened her grip on his hand.

"Go ahead."

Adrien gazed into her eyes with all the seriousness he could muster, "I love you, Marinette. I've loved you since the very beginning."

She took a sharp little breath, her wide bluebell eyes locked on his summer green irises. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes swam with emotion and Marinette thought she'd never seen anything more beautiful.

"I love you too," she whispered, eyes fluttering shut as she closed the short distance between their faces.

It was a short kiss that jolted Adrien's heart like a lightening strike, and he reeled as Marinette wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Adrien's chin settled against the top of her head as he returned her embrace.

They both couldn't help but to think that they had never felt as whole as they did in each other's arms.

A laugh drifted up from Marinette, muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

"So those  _were_  supposed to be dates?" she asked.

"Yeah. I don't think I was clear enough," he admitted, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Marinette sat up and gently smoothed out the front of his shirt before meeting his gaze.

Her expression was an interesting mixture of flustered and amused, "No, I think I was the problem. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but I really hoped they were dates."

Adrien snickered, "I was worried you thought the hand-holding was supposed to be platonic. I definitely didn't  _want_  it to be, that's for sure."

Marinette furrowed her brow.

"What?" she asked.

He shrugged at her helplessly, "You looked uncomfortable."

The pigtailed girl shook her head incredulously, "I wasn't uncomfortable, I was just...surprised! Do you have  _any idea_  how excited I was about that?"

A sly grin stretched across his face.

"No. Please enlighten me, Princess," he purred.

Marinette's eyes widened in surprise before her expression shifted into a smug grin.

"Oh, only as excited as you were," she said.

His smirk only widened in response, and he leaned forward so that they were nearly nose-to-nose. His summer green eyes filled her vision, and she resisted the panicky urge to pull away.

"Ah. You must have been ecstatic, then," he murmured, his voice filled with Chat Noir charm.

A spark flared in her eyes, and he knew he was in trouble before she even opened her mouth.

"Exactly," she replied, giving him a saucy wink.

Adrien's smirk melted away as his face rose in temperature, but he refused to pull away from her no matter how nervous he was. They stared into each other's eyes, both awestruck and euphoric at this turn of events.

"You're pretty," he blurted, red-faced and flustered.

Marinette giggled and timidly cupped his burning cheeks with her hands.

"You're not so bad yourself," she teased.

There was a minute pause before Adrien drifted forward, lightly bumping his nose against hers as he went in for another kiss.

Their lips brushed gently and timidly, hearts hammering with elation. Marinette's grip on his face was soft but firm, and he did his best not to melt into a happy puddle of goo on the spot.

It was at this point that Tikki decided to intervene.

"Marinette, I think you two should get back to class. This will look very bad if someone comes looking for you," she warned, looking rather apologetic for interrupting the moment.

The dark haired girl gasped and released Adrien's face, much to his disappointment.

"Oh my gosh! You're right, Tikki!" Marinette squeaked, eyes wide as she imagined the worst possible consequences of being caught kissing on a bench during class time.

Adrien sighed and scuffed the toe of his shoe against the cement. Marinette stood up and turned to him with a nervous smile.

"We should go," she said.

He nodded his agreement and rose from the bench.

Marinette laced her fingers through his and gave him a blinding smile before pulling him into a brisk jog alongside her. Keeping pace with Marinette was as natural to Adrien as breathing, and their hands fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

The rest of the day passed in a whirlwind of activity that neither Marinette nor Adrien had much motivation to remember. When the blond boy got home and looked back at his day, everything after they returned to class was stolen glances and blissful smiles.

He sunk down onto his bed with a happy sigh and buried his face into the pillows. He was vaguely aware of Plagg's presence, but felt no need to speak.

"Ya know… when I said blurt it out, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Plagg drawled from somewhere above Adrien's head.

The boy rolled onto his back to look up at the Kwami, whose expression was indifferent save for the twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Your classmates probably think you're ridiculous," the black cat kwami continued, inspecting his paw as if he was talking about the weather.

Adrien smiled up at him.

"Thank you, Plagg. Your advice was really helpful," he said.

The little black creature blinked in surprise; his slitted eyes wide as he regarded his chosen.

Plagg quickly schooled his expression into a lazy half-lidded scowl, "Yeah, well don't get used to it!"

With that, the kwami retreated to the waste bin, leaving Adrien to himself. As he gazed at his white ceiling, he somehow didn't feel as alone as he usually did in his room. He had amazing friends who jumped through hoops to help him, he had his grumpy Kwami, and he had whatever his relationship with his partner was blossoming into.

His phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen, only to feel a dopey grin stretch across his face when he realized that it was a text from Marinette.

Perhaps he was wrong in thinking that the universe hated him. He grinned as he answered Marinette's "What's up?" message with an "I love you" and more than a few heart emojis.


End file.
